Straightening device



Nov. 3, 1964 A. A. SCHAAF 3,154,820

STRAIGHTENING DEVICE Filed July 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. ARTHUR A. ScHAAF ATTORNEYS Nov. 3, 1964 A. A. SCHAAF STRAIGI-ITENING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 19, 1962 INVENTOR. ARTHUR A. SCHAAF ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,154,829 S'IRAIGHTENING DEViCE Arthur A. Schaaf, 2000 Bible Road, Lima, Ohio Filed July 19, 1962, Ser. No. 211,643 1 Claim. (Cl. 26-38) This invention relates to a device for straightening panels or the like and, more particularly, to a device for straightening doors, window sash, window screens and similar objects which must be kept relatively flat for adequate functioning.

It has been observed that after a period of use doors and window sash often become warped. This warping results from internal stresses being applied to the door, such as the internal stresses caused by the drying of green lumber or from the temperature differential between the inside and outside of a house which causes a variation in the expansion and contraction of the opposite sides of a door or window. As a result of such warping the door or window no lou er fits snugly into the respective door jarnb or window frame, resulting in a substantial heat loss, entry of insects, drafts and airborne dust.

Another problem created by the warping or doors and windows is that they no longer close properly and are likely to bind, thereby creating an annoying situation.

It is the principal object or the present invention to provide a novel device for the straightening of doors, windows, and screens which have become warped.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a straightening device which can be quickly and economically applied to the article being straightened.

Further and more specific objects of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view in perspective showing a door which has become warped out of shape;

FIG. 2 is a front view in perspective showing a door to which a device embodying the invention has been applied;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 33 of PEG. 2 and shown on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken along the line 44 of PEG. 2 and shown on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing details of a method for applying the straightening device;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 65 of FIG. 2 and shown on an enlarged cale;

FIG. 7 is a front quarter view in perspective showing a window screen with a device embodying the invention applied thereto; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken along the l ne 88 of FIG. 7 and shown on an enlarged scale.

Briefly, the present invention is a device for the straightening of generally fiat, rectangular panels. The device comprises a torsion bar extending along one side of the panel with a pressure arm connected at one end of the torsion bar and extending generally perpendicularly thereto. The device also includes means for prevent ng rotation of the torsion bar after torsion has been applied to it and means for fastening the other end of the pressure arm to the panel to be straightened.

FIG. 1 shows a door it which has become warped out of shape so that it no longer will fit flat against a stop 11 in its frame 12. FIG. 2 shows the door 1:? after a device embodying the invention has been applied to the door. The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 2 has a vertically extending, octagonal torsion bar 13 which extends through a guide block 14, the guide block 14 having a bore 15 (see FIG. 4) through which the 3,154,820 Patented Nov. 3,' 1964 "Ice torsion bar 13 extends. The guide block 14 is attached to the door 10 by means of a retainer screw 16 which extends through door 10 and is threaded into a tapped opening 17 in the guide block 14. The guide block 14 does not prevent rotation but does prevent lateral dis; placement of the torsion bar 13. The lower portion of the torsion bar 13 (see FIG. 3) extends through a mating opening 18, in this case also octagonal, in an adjusting block 19. The octagonal torsion bar 13 engages in the octagonal opening 18 in the adjusting block 19 thus preventing both rotation and lateral displacement of the torsion bar 13, relative thereto. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the torsion bar 13 has an octagonal cross section but, of course, any cross section may be used which provides for rotation of the bar 13' in the guide block 14 and prevents rotation of the bar 13 in the adjusting block 19.

A pressure pad 21) is placed between the adjusting block 19 and the door It) in order to distribute the pres sure more evenly across the contact area. The adjusting block 19 is fastened to the door it by means of a retainer screw 21 which extends through the door 16 and the pressure pad 29 and is threaded into a tapped hole 22 in the adjusting block 19.

, As shown in FIG. 2, the upper end of the torsion bar 13 is bent over at an angle of approximately degrees relative to the vertical portion of the bar, and the bent portion is engaged in a tubular pressure arm 23. The torsion force developed in the torsion bar 13 is delivered to the Warped portion of the door 10 through the pressure arm 23 and a threaded eyebolt 24, through which the far end of the tubular pressure arm 23 extends. As best shown in FIG. 6, the stem of the threaded eyebolt 24 extends through a hole 25 in the door 10 and is secured thereto by means of nuts 26 which are threaded onto the stem of the eyebolt 24 on either side of the door 10. Washers 27 are provided between the nuts 26 and the faces of the door 10.

In a typical installation procedure, the blocks 14 and 19 are mounted by their respective retainer screws 16 and 21 with the bore 15 of the block 14 axially aligned with the octagonal opening 18 of the block 19. The torsion bar 13 is then slid downwardly through the bore 15 in the guide block 14 and through the mating opening 18 in the adjusting block 19 to initially position the torsion bar 13 and pressure arm 23 angularly relative to the plane of the door to provide adequate force for straightening the door after the device is clamped in place. The pressure arm 23 is then inserted through the eyebolt 24 and engaged over the horizontal end of the torsion bar 13.

The far end of the tubular pressure arm 23 is now at an angular spaced relationship from the plane into which the door 16 is to be straightened. The stem of the eyebolt 24 extends through hole 25 provided in door 10. The nuts 26 (one shown) are adjusted until the door is straightened, as shown in FIG. 6.

If more force is needed to straighten the door, the tubular pressure arm 23 is slid off of the horizontal end of the torsion bar 13 disengaging it from the upper bent portion of the torsion bar 13. The nuts 26 of the eyebelt 24 are loosened and the torsion bar 13 is slid upwardly disengaging it from the adjusting block 19. The torsion bar 13 is then rotated 45 degrees in one direction or the other and reinserted into the octagonal opening 18 provided in adjusting block 19. The pressure arm 23 is then reengaged over the bent portion of the torsion bar 13. Manual force or a clamp is used to twist the door in the appropriate direction and the nuts 26 are tightened. This procedure is continued until the door is in a straightened condition as shown in FIG. 6.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 7 in which the invention is applied to a window screen,

rather than a door. A circular rod 28 has an end portion 29 rectangular in shape. The circular rod 28 is bent so that the horizontal portion acts as a torsion bar 30 and the vertical portion acts as a pressure arm 31. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the torsion bar 30 and the pressure arm 31 are of unitary construction.

An adjusting block 32 is mounted on a Window screen frame 33 by means of retainer screws 34. The adjusting block 32 has an opening 35, which is so shaped as to retain the rectangular end portion 29 in any one of eight different positions (see FIG. 8). An eyebolt 36 serves as a guide member for the torsion bar portion 30, preventing vertical displacement but not rotation. An eyebolt 37 is connected to the pressure arm portion 31 for applying the force, developed in the horizontal portion of the circular bar 28, to the window screen frame 33. The threaded end of the eyebolt 37 is placed in a hole 38 in the warped portion of the window screen frame 33 and after manual or clamping force is applied to straighten the warped section of the window frame the eyebolt 37 is se cured to the window screen frame 33 by means of nuts (not shown). To increase the force upon the warped portion of the window frame, the end portion 29 is removed from the opening in adjusting block 32 and is rotated, in increments of degrees, until the desired position is found. The end portion 29 is then reinserted in the adjusting block 32 and the pressure arm portion 31 is secured to the window screen frame 33 by means of the eyebolt 37. This procedure is followed until the warped portion of the window screen frame 33 has been straightened. Torsion developed in the circular bar 28 causes it to hold the warped portion of the window screen in the adjusted position.

A straightening device embodying the invention makes it possible for a warped door or window to be straightened thereby obviating the expense of purchasing a re placement door or window; The use of this straightening device also reduces the heating bills, during the winter months, of a home owner who has been plagued with warped doors and windows.

I claim:

An apparatus for straightening generally flat, rectangular panels, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a torsion bar having a regular polygonal cross section extending along one side of such panel, said torsion bar being shorter than said side of such panel, a pressure arm connected at one end of said torsion bar and extending generally perpendicularly thereto, an adjusting block mounted on such panel, said adjusting block defining a torsion bar engaging recess which has a complementary polygonal cross section relative to said polygonal cross section of said torsion bar, said adjusting block prevent- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,365,757 1/21 Willoughby et al 268l11 1,701,766 2/29 Tuomi 2O38 2,513,059 6/50 Singer 20-38 3,085,622 4/63 Burgin 19l HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. 

